Academic Affairs Information

Responsibilities of Students

Students are responsible for making sure that they are doing satisfactory work toward completion of a degree at the College. Any changes that affect a student's individual curriculum must be approved by the student's academic dean or director. A copy of the approved changes must be sent to the registrar. Students are advised to check their final term reports on the student information system website for accuracy and, if there are questions, to consult the registrar's office within four weeks. Students may check their academic records in the registrar's office at any time.

Plagiarism -- Every student's work is expected to represent personal efforts. In cases involving allegations of plagiarism (see "plagiarism" in the Ithaca College student handbook) or any other form of academic dishonesty, the procedures set out in the Ithaca College "Student Conduct Code" (part of the Ithaca College student handbook) are followed. All unresolved differences (as well as repeat offenses) are referred to the Conduct Review Board for hearing in accordance with the code.

Students' Right to Petition

Each currently enrolled undergraduate student has the right to petition the provost to waive any of the all-College academic regulations and to review any other academic problem that has not been resolved first by the instructor, or subsequently by the chair, and then by the dean.

The student should submit a written petition to the dean with a copy to the department chair and the faculty member involved. The dean sends the petition to the provost, along with his or her recommendation. Each petition is considered by the provost on an individual basis and is decided based on the facts that pertain to the particular student's situation. When it is appropriate and feasible, the provost consults with the individuals involved before making a final decision.

Academic Standards

College academic standards require that a full-time student pass 24 credit hours in any consecutive 12-month period and maintain at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA. A summer session cannot be counted twice, i.e., as part of two 12-month periods. Individual schools and programs may have more stringent requirements; students must therefore check the school and department listings for those additional requirements. To be eligible for certain state and federal financial aid programs, students must meet standards for academic standing and progress as outlined in the section on student aid, p. 535.

After a case-by-case review, students who do not meet the College academic standards above may be permitted to continue their studies at the College on academic warning, but they are also subject to immediate suspension or dismissal. A student may be suspended or dismissed by a school from the school and from Ithaca College. Students may be suspended or dismissed from a degree program in accordance with published special academic status policies. Students are informed by letter of the conditions of their suspension and of the criteria and procedures for return. Students who are dismissed from a program, a school, or the College may not return to the unit from which they have been dismissed. Students dismissed from a program or school but not from the College may return to another program or school if accepted by that unit. The specific consequences of each type of action are described below.

In case a student withdraws from the College after the deadline for course withdrawal for the semester, he or she may still be subject to academic suspension or dismissal for unsatisfactory academic performance. The suspension or dismissal action takes precedence over the withdrawal.

Warning, Suspension, Dismissal

Academic Warning

Students who have not met published academic standards may be placed on academic warning for a semester. Warning status is imposed by each school's dean. As indicated above, students are subject to immediate suspension or dismissal without a prior semester on warning.

When students are placed on academic warning, they are informed in writing of the reasons for the warning, any special warning conditions, and the criteria they must meet to be removed from warning. Warnings are not recorded on the student's official transcript. If a student is not removed from warning status after one semester, he or she will be considered for suspension for a minimum of one semester and a summer, or for dismissal.

Each school and department may have additional policies and procedures regarding academic warning. Please consult the appropriate sections in this catalog.

Academic Suspension

Students suspended from a school for academic deficiencies are also suspended from Ithaca College and may not enroll for any courses at the

College for at least one semester and a summer term. The date and conditions under which a student is eligible to return are specified in the letter of suspension. All suspensions are recorded on the student's official academic transcript. Students on academic suspension must apply to return to the College and demonstrate that they have met the conditions of their suspension.

Academic Dismissal

Students dismissed from Ithaca College may not return to continue their studies at the College. Schools within the College adhere to different academic regulations; therefore, students may be dismissed from a school but still meet College academic standards. In such instances, students are dismissed from the school and suspended from the College for at least one semester and a summer. To return, a student must apply to and be accepted by a degree program in another school. All dismissals from the College are recorded on the student's official academic transcript.

Return after Academic Suspension or Dismissal

Students who have been suspended or dismissed and are eligible to return must apply to return to the College. Any student returning to the College after academic suspension or dismissal from a school returns on warning status for the first semester. At the end of that semester, the school to which the student has returned determines whether the student may continue to be enrolled at Ithaca College.

As indicated above, students suspended from Ithaca College may return subject to the fulfillment of specified conditions. Students who are dismissed from Ithaca College for academic reasons may not return to the College.

Students who return from academic suspension in the degree program from which they were suspended resume the degree requirements in effect at the time of suspension. If the program requirements have changed during the period of suspension, the student may choose between the original and the new requirements. Students who do not return at the specified time and whose period of suspension is not extended will have "Withdrawn -- did not return after suspension" recorded on their official transcript.

Students who wish to apply for admission to a different program or school following suspension, or who have been dismissed from a degree program at the time of their suspension, must meet the admission criteria for the new program and be accepted by that program. Students must contact the new school to find out the specific admission or readmission criteria. If accepted, the students must meet the graduation requirements in effect at the time of admission to that program.

Students who do not return at the end of the specified period of suspension and whose period of suspension is not extended by permission of the dean must, if they wish to return, apply for readmission to the College. They must follow the program requirements in effect in the semester of return, even though the requirements may be different from those under which they entered the program. Students must apply for readmission in accordance with official College readmission procedures. (See p. 583.)

Program Suspension or Dismissal

Students may be suspended or dismissed from a particular degree program for failure to meet requirements in that program, yet not be suspended or dismissed from a school or the College. In the case of a program suspension, a department may set special conditions that must be satisfied during the specified period of program suspension. When students are dismissed from a program, they are eligible to make a change of major to another program provided they are accepted by the new department and, if applicable, school. For students who decide to leave the College, the dismissal is effective immediately. For students remaining at the College, such program dismissals take effect at the end of the following semester to allow them time to decide upon, and be admitted to, a new major. Meanwhile, they continue to be listed in the current degree program with the same faculty adviser. Failure to change majors during the semester will result in suspension from the school and the College.

Academic Records

The registrar's office is responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of all permanent academic records. Shortly after the close of each semester, currently enrolled students can access their final grade report using the student information system website. Any changes to the report must be arranged no later than two weeks from the date when classes begin in the succeeding semester. Hence, each student is advised to review each term report carefully.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)

Ithaca College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings.

FERPA affords every student the following rights with respect to his or her education records:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within a reasonable period of time, but in no case longer than 45 days once a student has submitted a request. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, department chairperson, or other appropriate official a written request that identifies the records he or she wishes to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

Records Exempt: The law exempts from student access some school records under specific conditions, which include

a. Records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and educational personnel ancillary to those persons that are kept in the sole possession of the maker of the record and are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record.

b. Records of a law enforcement unit of the College (Office of Public Safety) created by the unit for a law enforcement purpose and maintained by the unit.

c. Records on a student who is 18 years old or older that are made or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized professional or paraprofessional acting in his or her professional capacity or assisting in a paraprofessional capacity and that are used only in connection with treatment of the student and disclosed only to individuals providing the treatment.

d. Financial information submitted by parents.

e. Records relating to individuals who are employed by the institution, when the records are made and maintained in the normal course of business, relate exclusively to individuals in their capacity as employees, and are not available for any other purpose. However, records of students who are employed as a result of their status as students (e.g., in work study) are education records.

f. Records that contain only information about the student after he or she is no longer a student at the College.

g. If the education records of a student contain information on more than one student, the parent or eligible student may inspect, review, or be informed of only the specific information about the student.

h. Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the records after January 1, 1975, to which the student has waived his or her rights to inspect and review and that are related to the student's admission, application for employment or job placement, or receipt of honors.

2. The right to request amendment of the student's education record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading.

A student may ask the College to amend any part of his or her record that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading. The student should write to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student upon notification of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

FERPA permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate interests. A school official is any person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including campus safety personnel and health services staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee (such as a disciplinary or grievance committee) or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Under certain emergency situations, it may be necessary to release information to protect the health or safety of the student or other students.

FERPA also permits disclosures of personally identifiable information without consent to schools in which a student seeks or intends to enroll; to federal, state, and local authorities in connection with an audit or evaluation of compliance with education programs; in connection with financial aid; to organizations

conducting studies for or on behalf of educational institutions; to accrediting organizations; and to comply with a judicial order or subpoena.

Directory Information: In accordance with the act, College policy limits disclosure of personally identifiable information from the educational records of students (with the exception of "directory information") to those instances authorized by the act. In accordance with FERPA, Ithaca College has designated the following list of student information as public or "directory information": name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, dates of attendance, class, full- or part-time status, previous institutions attended, major field of study, awards, honors (including dean's list), degrees conferred (including dates), past and present participation in officially recognized sports and activities, physical factors (height, weight of athletes), date and place of birth, and ID pictures. Such information may be disclosed by the College for any purpose, unless specifically requested not to do so by the student.

A currently enrolled student may withhold disclosure of directory information under FERPA by completing a request form available at the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life (340 Egbert Hall). Directory information will continue to be withheld until the student rescinds the request.

Disclosure of Education Record Information to Parents: An Ithaca College student has the opportunity to declare whether he or she is independent or dependent for income tax purposes on the enrollment confirmation form provided to all incoming freshmen and transfer students at the time of their acceptance to Ithaca College. If a student's status changes, he or she should notify the Office of the Registrar. Ithaca College will disclose information (including grades) from a student's education records to the parents of an eligible student who claim that student as a dependent for income tax purposes unless there is a court order, state statute, or other legally binding document prohibiting such disclosure. If a student claims he or she is not a dependent, the parents will need to submit their most recent federal income tax form to the Office of the Registrar as evidence that the student is a dependent.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Ithaca College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office that administers FERPA is the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

A complete copy of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is available in the College library. Questions concerning FERPA may be referred to the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life or the Office of the Registrar. Copies of this policy may be obtained in the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Student Retention Rates

The student retention rate at an institution of higher education is defined as the percentage of incoming freshmen who graduate during a given period of time. As a result of recent federal legislation, colleges and universities are required to publish their statistics on the retention of students. National reporting requirements use the six-year time period, while other comparative reports use a five-year time period. At Ithaca College 73 percent of the full-time freshmen who matriculated in fall 1997 graduated within six years. Students from this cohort graduating within five years had a five-year graduation rate of 72 percent. The average five-year graduation rate for the fall entering cohorts of 1994 through 1998 is 72 percent.

By comparison, survey data collected in the spring of 2002 by ACT (formerly American College Testing Program) from approximately 1,450 public and private four-year colleges and universities found that nationally 51 percent of students who entered a four-year institution graduated within five years. For students who entered a selective private college (like Ithaca College), the five-year graduation rate reported in the national study was 66 percent.

The goals of individual students, like college programs, vary substantially. These retention rates are simply quantitative measures of persistence to graduation at the college where students originally enrolled. As such, retention rates do not distinguish among students who left college with no plans for future education, those who successfully transferred to other colleges, those who were asked to leave for academic reasons, and those who were expelled for disciplinary reasons. It would be more valuable to provide comparative data reflecting the percentage of students who achieved their individual goals. There are, however, no accepted quantitative measures for comparing the degree to which students attain their personal college goals.